Do your remember roller skating at Wheelies, Saints or Roller Terrace?
Who can forget the roller skating craze that accompanied the disco boom of the late 1970s. As a young pre-teen boy I vividly recall lining up outside the rink before the doors opened and skating for hours on end until the rental skates caused huge blisters on my feet. Ah sweet memories.
At the time I was living downtown near the intersection of Bruce and Grosvenor and getting to either Roller Terrace on 2nd Line or Wheelies (aka Saints) on Trunk Road was a bit of a trek. One time in particular I recall a friend of mine was desperate enough to go he showed up unannounced on his grandmother’s doorstep with about 4 of his best friends in tow, myself included and begged his poor grandma for a ride. Of course we got the ride!
I recall that my favourite cool outfit to wear to the rink was a pair of white Levis that was part of my public school band uniform. I probably wore whatever I thought was my most styling t-shirt of the week, but I distinctly remember the white denim. Come to think of it I think I favoured those 70s t-shirts that you would get the decals pressed onto while you waited at the t-shirt shop.
To this day when I hear such songs as Blondie’s Heart of Glass or The Vapours singing Turning Japanese I flashback to my youthful days skating around the rinks of the Soo trying to get the nerve up to ask girls to skate.
Andy Taylor -- August 2001
Patti Taylor -- August 2001
If you have your own memories of Roller Terrace, Saints or Wheelies that you would like to share, please click the link below or email us at soomemories@yahoo.ca
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